The Ottawa Senators will play their third game in four nights tonight as they take on the New Jersey Devils.
After two straight wins, the Ottawa Senators fell on Sunday to the Montreal Canadiens. The Sens will try to bounce back as they take down a team fighting for points in the competitive Metropolitan Division. Unfortunately, it will be even more difficult than usual as the team is heavily depleted by injuries.
Forward
With injuries to a substantial portion of their top six, the Ottawa Senators will only be icing 11 forwards. They will be: Mike Hoffman, Matt Duchene, Colin White, Ryan Dzingel, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Chris DiDomenico, Max McCormick, Zack Smith, Tom Pyatt, Magnus Paajarvi, and Alex Burrows.
Defence
With the forward group in shambles, the Sens will use seven defencemen tonight. They will be: Johnny Oduya, Erik Karlsson, Cody Ceci, Dion Phaneuf, Thomas Chabot, Mark Borowiecki, and Fredrik Claesson.
Goal
In goal Craig Anderson will get the start with Mike Condon serving as the backup.
The Positive Of Injuries
Injuries have left the Ottawa Senators crippled at the forward position. Five forwards are currently out with injuries: Derick Brassard, Nate Thompson, Bobby Ryan, Mark Stone, and Gabriel Dumont. This makes winning even more difficult for an already struggling Ottawa Senators team. With the Sens already deep outside the playoff picture this might be a blessing in disguise for the Sens as these injuries will keep them from wining meaningless games. These injuries could actually benefit the Sens in the long term.